I'm a commercial crabber out of East Matagorda Bay, I try and keep the bay clean. It's my livelihood and I respect what God has given me. BUT there is an out of town crabber from Seadrift who has no respect , I take his derilic traps in all the time

Great program!

If be willing to come ride along and help if someone needs it.

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Are you allowed to keep the traps? Or are they now state property? Sorry if it was stated
In the article and I missed it..


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I might could drag the Boatright down if we can work a place to stay.

I know a guy. I'll text him in the am

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I have an invite out to a group, but if they don't go, you're next up. I will have the airboat up in the skinny. With your boatright and my airboat we ought to be able to take a bunch of them back to the docks.

I know there is a big 2cool gathering every year with a lot of fisherman. THey have a big supper and beers. We can go by the TPWD office and get tarps, gloves and trap hooks. You will definitely want the tarps to put down.

You are not allowed by law to keep the traps. You are supposed to smash, record the number and throw them into the dumpster. That is the letter of the law, sometimes people see letters differently I could care less what people do with them as long as we get them out of the water. THey are a boat hazard, health hazard and a continuous killing machine for marine life.

I can guarantee you will pull traps that have very live marine life, emaciated marine life and skeletal marine life. It is a timeline display, indicative of how effective these traps are at wasting our marine life.

I am all for utilizing our fisheries as a means to a living. It has been in no way conducted responsibly thus far. If it had been, there wouldn't be a need for a volunteer program. Since its inception, 17,000 derelict traps have been removed from Texas waters alone. That is wonderful. We can still do better.

Like the earlier post from the guy that crabs east matti. I commend you for stepping up and doing it right. I know who you are talking about from Seadrift. I have yanked a many of those traps.

The state needs to get better at their end. The volunteer program is great but we pay them a lot of money in licenses fines ect. On Chesapeake bay they have partnered the state, local colleges and the crabbers themselves. That is deep water crabbing unlike Texas. The school has a marine biology program. They go out and use sonar to locate crab pots and mark the locations. These locations are given to the state who in turn gives the location to the crabbers (their season is closed). The dredge with hooks and remove the traps. They are paid for their efforts. So the whole program is a win, a win and a win.

Bad apples in the bunch make guys like me look bad, I am on several boards and committees throughout the state . I have testified at Senate hearings at the capital, and keep an open email to CCA. In the past I have notified our local chapters of CCA several days before the closure as to the whereabouts of derelict traps in East Matagorda Bay. As of today, there are only 117 crab license left in the state, back in the 80's over 3000. The limited entry program is WORKING. Out of the 117 license, many crabbers like myself own several, so don't look at the number 117 as the actual amount of crabbers out on the water at any given time. Yes, abandon traps are a nuisance at many levels , but it is still the "cleanest" fisheries in the state . Any questions or concerns, I can be reached at:

979-479-2141
Leemo

Leemo, I'd like to sit down and buy you a beer one day. I applaud your concern and dedication to the fishery.

Made the rounds today in East Matty, for the most part pretty clean. For those out looking, youll find a few "inside" 3Mile, some up tight in the grass east of Kains, a few scattered in the grass in the Condo pocket.
With the exception of about 6 traps on the west side of 3 Beacons, most of the traps in the grass(the bank) are Harvey victims. Be careful pulling traps, and wear gloves !

Leemo

Awesome Leemo thanks for your help!!